Guide

Paper before live

Before funding a live brokerage/payment connector or Agentic sleeve, run the same stack on paper — or a zero-funded / preview-only path — with review before place on, one connector at a time, and caps written. Prove the pipe works without spendable cash, then fund only the session ceiling.

By Agent Lane Editorial · Page dated 27 September 2026

Answer first

Before Cursor or Grok can spend on a live brokerage or payment connector, run paper before live: same stack, no spendable cash — dry-run, preview-only, zero-funded sleeve, or paper-book practice. Keep review before place on, enable one connector only, and write your caps. When the prove-out looks right, fund only the session ceiling. Agent Lane publishes the checklist. We do not place trades, hold wallets, or run your agents.

What this page is

A short operator guide for the dry prove before cash — the habit siblings assume when they say “prove the path” before you fund. Pair it with fund the session ceiling, one connector at a time, connect only what you need, review before place, never skip review before place, revoke before you debug, agent spend caps, the dedicated agent wallet, the brokerage shield, the crypto shield, and the shared-box checklist when the agent runs on a shared computer.

We are a publisher, not a trading desk. Product screens change; confirm tool names on the official page. Do not invent a paper or practice mode a product does not ship — use whatever dry-run, preview-only, or zero-funded path that product actually offers.

Why funding first is the failure mode

• Unproven pipe, live cash. Wiring errors, wrong tool names, and missed review surfaces show up on the first call — expensive once the sleeve is funded.
• Batch enable, fat balance. Flipping every connector on while cash is live turns one bad prompt into many rails spending at once.
• “I’ll watch carefully.” Watching is not a substitute for a zero-funded prove. Caps and review still need a dry pass before money moves.

What “paper before live” means

• Caps written first. Session and daily maxes in code or product settings — see agent spend caps.
• Zero-funded or preview-only. Dry-run, preview path, paper book if the venue publishes one, or an empty Agentic sleeve — no spendable cash while you prove the stack.
• One connector. Enable a single payer, brokerage, or MCP rail — see one connector at a time.
• Review on. Amount, destination, asset, and venue shown before any place, pay, or signature — see review before place.
• Then fund the ceiling. Only after a clean prove-out: fund only the session ceiling. Keep review on. Stay on one connector.

Where it sits in the shield stack

1. Dedicated agent wallet — money the bot can reach; long-term holdings stay outside.
2. Spend caps — session and daily maxes you write and enforce.
3. Paper before live — dry-run / preview-only / zero-funded prove-out before cash.
4. Fund the session ceiling — empty or park excess, then put in only that ceiling for this run.
5. Review before place — human gate on amount, destination, asset, and venue.
6. Venue — one connector at a time — reopen a single rail; prove it; then the next.
7. Revoke before you debug — kill-and-isolate when something goes wrong.

Healthy first run uses layers 1–6 with paper before any funded live call. Skip paper and the first mistake lands on cash.

How to run paper before live

1. Write caps first. Confirm session and daily maxes in code or product settings. Those numbers are the ceiling you will fund later — not a chat reminder.
2. Stay zero-funded or preview-only. Do not fund the dedicated spend wallet or Agentic sleeve yet. Use a dry-run, preview-only path, paper book (if the venue publishes one), or zero balance so the pipe cannot spend real cash.
3. Enable one connector only. Turn on a single payer, brokerage, or MCP rail. Leave every other spend connector disabled — see one connector at a time.
4. Keep review before place on. Standing rules: amount, destination, asset, and venue shown before any place, pay, or signature. No “just place it” or “don’t ask.”
5. Prove the pipe. Run one small reviewed action on that path. Confirm previews, receipts, and tool names look right with no spendable cash at risk.
6. Then fund only the session ceiling. Only after the prove-out: empty or park excess, fund only the ceiling, keep review on, stay on one connector. If something goes wrong later, revoke before you debug. Before raising the funded ceiling after idle or incident, rotate before you raise the balance.

Practical checklist

• Paper order memorized. Caps written → zero-funded / preview → one connector → review on → prove → then fund the ceiling.
• No inventing product paper modes. Use only dry-run, preview-only, zero-funded, or paper-book paths the official page actually offers.
• Paper is not a substitute. Caps, review, and revoke still apply after you go live — see spend caps, review before place, and revoke before you debug.
• Shared-box pass. Connectors, passwords, and open sessions on a shared computer — see shared-box.

Brokerage path: Shield brokerage spend. On-chain pay: Shield crypto spend.

What Agent Lane does not do here

• We do not place trades, preview your orders, or babysit your agents.
• We do not hold your funds, run a hot wallet, or settle payments.
• We do not publish a funded “agent buyer” or claim a product ships a paper mode it may not have.

Related guides

• Read-only quote before trade connector
• No averaging down without a new thesis
• Journal every override
• Name the strategy before connect
• Cap daily loss before session
• Fund the session ceiling
• One connector at a time
• Connect only what you need
• Review before place
• Never skip review before place
• Session time-box
• Revoke before you debug
• Rotate before you raise the balance
• Agent spend caps
• Dedicated agent wallet
• Shield brokerage spend
• Shield crypto spend
• Write invalidation before entry
• Reject duplicate place same thesis
• Confirm symbol before place
• No scale-in without GO
• Flatten all before connector revoke
• One order per idea until fill
• No place while unconfirmed fill
• Write max loss before entry
• Shared-box and connector checklist
• Trading-agent map
• Agent memory hygiene
• Confirm fills in the broker, not chat
• Never paste API keys in chat
• Revoke connectors when idle
• Whitelist merchants only
• Dry run before first live place
• Kill switch before travel
• Two-person rule for large places
• Log session end checklist
• Separate funding from trading wallet
• Name the strategy before connect
• Cap daily loss before session
• More on Resources

FAQ

What does paper before live mean?

Paper before live means: before you fund a live brokerage, payment connector, or Agentic sleeve, run the same stack on a dry-run, preview-only, zero-funded, or paper-book path — with review before place on, one connector at a time, and caps written. Prove the pipe works without spendable cash, then fund only the session ceiling.

Why is funding first a failure mode?

A fat sleeve with unproven connectors, standing rules, or review gates turns the first bad prompt into a real fill. Wiring errors, leftover grants, and missed review surfaces show up cheaply on a zero-funded path — and expensively once cash is live.

Where does paper before live sit in the shield stack?

Stack order for a healthy first run: dedicated agent wallet → spend caps written → paper / zero-funded prove-out (this page) → fund only the session ceiling → review before place → venue opened one connector at a time. Paper is the dry prove before cash. Incident response still uses revoke before you debug.

What counts as paper here?

Whatever your stack offers that cannot spend real cash: a dry-run or preview-only path, a zero-funded Agentic sleeve, a paper book or practice book on a venue that publishes one, or a connector wired with review-before-place and no funded balance. Product names and screens change — confirm on the official page. Do not invent a paper mode a product does not ship.

Does paper replace caps, review, or revoke?

No. Paper proves the pipe without spendable cash. Caps bound how much can move once you fund. Review stops the first bad place. Revoke closes the pipe on incident. You need the full stack — paper is not a substitute for any of them.

When do I go live after paper?

After one clean prove-out on the zero-funded or preview path: standing rules show amount, destination, asset, and venue; one connector only; receipts look right; caps are written. Then empty or park excess, fund only the session ceiling, keep review on, and stay on one connector.

Where do I apply this next?

Live fills: confirm fills in the broker, not chat. Cash step: fund the session ceiling. Reconnect order: one connector at a time. Human gate: review before place. Incident: revoke before you debug. Hard dollar limits: agent spend caps. Separate spend path: dedicated agent wallet. Brokerage MCP: shield brokerage spend. On-chain hygiene: shield crypto spend. Shared computer: shared-box checklist. Agent Lane publishes the checklist; we do not place trades or hold wallets.

Next steps

Before an agent touches real money, review every order before it is placed, shield your brokerage account, and map the trading-agent options. Or browse all Agent Lane guides.